3 Razors

Green Lantern #67

/ / Comics

Green Lantern #67War of the Green Lanterns, thankfully, comes to a conclusion with this issue as the united rainbow lanterns make their final stand against Krona in an attempt to free the various colored entities.

The main story itself, like most of this story are which began back in Blackest Night, is mostly forgettable. However, the issue does delivering a few startling events worthy of notice including Sinestro as a Green Lantern. The sequence which leads to this is as interesting as the panel where the ring chooses Sinestro is shocking. Hal Jordan‘s most hated enemy appears to come to terms with Jordan and in doing so earns back the position which was forcibly taken from him decades ago.

Although Sinestro seems to have earned his way back into the Corps, Hal Jordan’s ring is stripped from the Greatest Green Lantern (again!) when his uses it to commit to cardinal sin of saving the universe, I mean killing a former Guardian.

We’ll have to see how both of these events play out in the DC reboot, but I’m betting Jordan won’t be without a ring for very long. Worth a look.

[DC, $2.99]

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Captain America #1

/ / Comics

Captain America #1Steve Rogers is back in action as Captain America as Marvel relaunches the title, again. It’s a good first issue getting Cap back in action and dealing with the death of an old friend (who honestly I thought had died decades ago), a dangerous mystery from his past, and appearances of both old friends and old enemies.

This first storyline focuses on a case from Captain America’s past in WWII and he’ll need the help of Nick Fury and Sharon Carter to help him track down an old associate of Cap’s (Codename: Bravo) who attempts to assassinate Dum Dum Dugan at Peggy Carter‘s funeral. But he’s only half the story, the other half involves an elderly man recently out of a coma who as a child help Cap’s covert team fight the Nazis.

We also get appearances from HYDRA and Baron Zemo who are in cahoots with Codename: Bravo. I understand where Brubaker is going here but every WWII hero that’s still alive and in top notch condition makes a Cap a little less special. It’s a good, though not great, first issue. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Rango

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Rango
  • IMDB: link

rango-dvdA pet chameleon (Johnny Depp) with an overactive imagination finds himself separated from his owners and stranded in the desert. As a consequence of his wild tales (and an amazing amount of dumb luck) he soon finds himself elected sheriff of a small town with a water shortage. Under the name of Rango our hero sets out with a posse to solve the problem.

Rango is a quirky and beautifully rendered animated slapstick comedy that also, sadly, drags in places. And despite referencing everything from the westerns of Sergio Leone to Chinatown to Apocalypse Now, Rango isn’t nearly as original or smart as it wants to be.

The story plays out in predictable fashion. Part One – ill-suited protagonist is mistaken for hero. Part Two – hero is forced to admit lies. Part Three – liar is given a moment of illumination and learns his lesson. Part Four – liar returns and becomes a true hero he was destined to be all along. You’ve seen this story before, many, many times.

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Captain America

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Captain America
  • IMDB: link

“To the rest of the world he’s Codename: Captain America. He may not be Superman, but he’ll be a living symbol of what this country stands for.”

Captain America posterCaptain America: The First Avenger is set to hit theaters this Friday but it isn’t the first attempt by Marvel Comics to translate their iconic hero to the big screen. While DC was churning out Batman and Superman flicks at will in the 80’s and early 90’s, Marvel was lagging behind. For the Captain America’s 50th Anniversary Marvel Comics put together a feature film centered around the hero.

Financing issues (which the production ran into after it had moved overseas for shooting in Europe) and the addition of stunt sequences, further re-shoots, and editing bogged the film down. Captain America went unreleased for two years. Although it did see the inside of theaters internationally, in the country of his origin poor Captain America was limited to a unheralded straight-to-video release.

The film begins neither in America nor in Germany, but in Mussolini’s Italy. A young boy is brutally ripped from his family and taken to a secret government laboratory where a reluctant scientist, Dr. Vaselli (Carla Cassola), will attempt to create the world’s first Super Soldier.

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Fear Itself #4 (of 7)

/ / Comics

Fear Itself #4One month later here’s what we know: Bucky Barnes is still dead, the world is still going to Hell, Thor is back, and so far no one actually has a plan on how to stop an evil God of Fear from playing Hammertime all over the Marvel Universe. Oh yeah, and Steve Rogers is Captain America, again.

I’ve felt indifferent to most of Fear Itself, and although I certanly didn’t love this issue it has a couple of points of interest besides Steve Rogers becoming Captain America and the reuniting of the Avengers big three.

Bucky’s death scene, though short (and nowhere near as lovingly told as the Red Hulk’s) works quite well. It’s also telling that Steve Rogers can’t be in the same room with Bucky’s body or, even though he manages to don the costume, still can’t bring himself to put on Captain America’s mask.

We also learn that Thor is destined to die (or, die as much as a God actually can in the Marvel Universe), and are witness to Tony Stark debasing himself in front of Odin by draining a bottle of booze (as plans go, not the brightest he’s ever had). Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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